I often get asked how we managed to get started in the 3D business. The answer is that we just did it with the materials and basic tools we had on hand. We didn’t know what was possible, and we had no clients. Our projects started small and were for ourselves for the most part. It was a wonderful way to learn.

We've been going through our old photos lately, and I came across this one, taken about forty years ago. The picture shows Peter and Becke when they were young, test-driving our homemade family parade float - a biplane. Becke was dubbed the pilot, and her job was to keep the hand-cranked wooden propeller spinning. Peter got the more adventuresome task of wing walking - complete with a fake parachute pack. The plane was made from leftover plywood scraps and pieces of old signs and was precariously perched atop my homemade kayak trailer. It got a paper mache skin and a brightly coloured paint job right after this test flight. We also fashioned some fluffy white clouds to cover the bright yellow trailer. Note the seagull in front, trying to get out of the way. My golf cart had donated its wheels for the occasion.

This plane parade float was one of our earliest full 3D projects. We had much to learn and new materials to figure out, but this first effort looked pretty cool for its time. The plane was a big hit with our kids and the locals who watched the parade that year, and that was the most important thing.